


Fade to White

by eirana



Series: #krisallenpinkranger [2]
Category: Adam Lambert (Musician), American Idol RPF, Kris Allen (Musician)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-02
Updated: 2012-05-02
Packaged: 2017-11-04 17:23:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/396318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eirana/pseuds/eirana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Having a boyfriend who is also a Power Ranger is awesome.  Except for how it isn’t because his stupidly shiny suit makes him a ridiculously easy target.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fade to White

**Author's Note:**

> Because you can’t be a Tommy Oliver counterpart without having more than one Ranger color. Someday, Adam will forgive me for taking away his sparkle. I’d also like to mention that, obviously, action scenes are not my forte.

Having a boyfriend who is also a Power Ranger is awesome.

“Watch out!”

Except for how it isn’t because his stupidly shiny suit makes him a ridiculously easy target.

This time, they’re up against some kraken-like thing with iridescent tentacles. Iridescent, _razor-sharp_ tentacles. Kris dodges another one and grabs Adam’s hand, pulling him away. He has to put real effort into moving Adam. It’s almost like he’s paralyzed.

“What is wrong with you?” Allison yells at them as she slashes off a tentacle.

The monster wails, thrashing around and almost taking Matt’s head off. Megan knocks it down with a well-placed kick, and Anoop blasts it with the new gadget Ryan gave them. It fires a blinding white beam at the monster, which makes it emit an awful shriek. When the light dims, there’s a crater where the monster once stood. At the center is a tiny figurine.

“Well,” Allison says, stepping gingerly into the crater and picking up the kraken, now no bigger than an action-figure, “that’s handy.”

~*~

After dropping off the kraken figurine at the base–because Simon sternly tells them no when Anoop asks with hopeful eyes if they can keep it–they head to Kris’ house. He herds them all into the kitchen and bribes them into staying there with homemade chocolate chip cookies while he excuses Adam and himself, dragging his boyfriend up the stairs, the sound of a door closing following soon after.

Then the yelling starts.

_“You idiot! What were you doing? You could have gotten yourself hurt, or killed. Did you **see** those tentacles?!”_

Even from downstairs, the four of them can clearly hear Kris laying into Adam; they wince in sympathy. They’ve all borne the brunt of Kris Allen in full-on worry mode after getting injured–or nearly–on the job. Adam always gets it a little harder than they do.

Matt winces. “I know Kris does it because he cares, but _damn_. Sucks to be Adam right now.”

Megan snorts. “You wish Kris would upbraid you the way he does Adam.”

He pokes her side in response. She scowls, shoving at his shoulder. When Matt looks like he’s five seconds away from giving her a wet willy, Allison rolls her eyes, stepping in-between them. “Act your age, you guys.” When they both nod grudgingly, she smiles approvingly. “Now, as fun as it is to hear the lovebirds going at it in the not-so-fun way, we have a serious matter to discuss.”

Anoop nods in agreement, pushing up from where he’s been lounging against the wall to join their cluster around the island. “Something’s wrong with Adam’s Morpher.” He pauses to take a bite of Megan’s cookie. “These are good. Can I marry Kris and make him bake for me all day?”

Megan smacks his shoulder. “Focus! And only if I get to marry him, too.”

“Anyway,” he says, taking a cookie for himself, “something is terribly wrong with Adam’s Morpher.”

Matt rolls his eyes. “Yeah, we know.”

“No, you don’t,” Allison says sharply. “Adam hasn’t been completely honest with the rest of you. You all know that the Silver Morpher is volatile. It’s meant to be used as a last resort, a safeguard in case the team gets overwhelmed by a sudden increase in attacks.”

“Did you and Anoop just switch bodies?” Matt says, snickering. At Allison’s glare, he stops abruptly. “Sorry. You were saying, Captain?”

She rolls her eyes at the title, punching him in the shoulder and talking over his whines. “The Silver Morpher isn’t meant to be used long term. It’s already begun shutting down. Adam won’t be able to be the Silver Ranger for much longer.”

~*~

“You’re an idiot.”

Adam sighs. “I heard you the first fifteen times, Kris.”

He starts playing with the guitar by Kris’ bed. Adam has no idea how to play it, despite Kris’ best efforts, but maybe it’ll distract him from his tirade. Kris snatches it from his arms and puts it gently back in its place.

“Adam, I’m serious. What is going on with you?” He sits down, stilling Adam’s fidgeting hands. “You’ve nearly been killed at least ten times in the past week.”

Adam intertwines their fingers, playing with the silver band on Kris’ finger. He should get Kris a new one, one with pink gems. Maybe a set for them so they can match. “Nearly being the key word there,” he says absent-mindedly, contemplating ring settings. Kris jostles him with his shoulder, displeased. “Okay, bad joke,” Adam concedes, bringing their joined hands to his lips for a kiss. “Kris, there’s something you need to know.”

He turns to Adam with wide, worried eyes. “What is it?”

He looks away, down at their Morphers, his sleek silver set against Kris’ bright pink. “I can’t be part of the team anymore.”

Kris’ grip tightens. “What? What do you mean? I know you and Matt don’t always see eye to eye, but the rest of the team loves you.”

Adam sighs. “It’s not about Matt. Or about wanting to leave. The Silver Ranger isn’t meant to be a permanent part of the team.”

“What are you saying?”

“My Morpher’s not going to be operational for much longer. I can’t be a Ranger anymore,” he says gently, watching Kris carefully.

“Oh,” he breathes, looking down at their hands. Kris doesn’t say anything for a long time. The silence is tense and awkward, in a way it’s never been; he and Kris don’t do awkward.

“Hey,” Adam says softly, tilting Kris’ chin up and making him meet Adam’s eyes. “Leaving the team doesn’t mean I’m leaving you.”

Kris rolls his eyes, bumping his shoulder against Adam’s. “I know that, moron.” He leans in for a kiss, biting at Adam’s bottom lip. “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

He hums contentedly. “Why would I want to get rid of you?”

“You never know, Lambert. You might decide some other boy is prettier.”

“Not possible,” Adam says firmly, tugging Kris into his lap.

Kris snorts and wraps his arms around Adam’s neck. “Liar. You’ll see some boy who’s prettier and hates plaid as much as you do, and then you’ll forget all about your pink damsel in distress.”

“Never,” he says insistently, giving Kris a peck. “You’re my Pink Ranger, and you always will be.”

Kris leans his head on Adam’s shoulder, fitting into his spot and smiling against Adam’s neck. “I’m holding you to that.”

Adam puts a hand on the back of Kris’ head, running his fingers through his hair, and presses a kiss to his temple. “Noted.”

~*~

Allison crosses her arms and glares. No matter what anyone says, she is winning this battle–the battle being a staring contest between her and Simon and his stupid glowing tube. He goes into stasis every once in a while, something about how it extends his lifespan. Ryan tried to explain it to them once, but when words with five or more syllables got involved, everyone but Anoop gave up and decided not to question it.

Adam’s Morpher is systematically shutting down. First, his weapons had gone offline. All the nifty gadgets he used to have at his disposal are now useless unless used as projectiles. Even then, there isn’t a very high chance that they’ll do any good–Adam has terrible aim. And then there’s his communicator, which thinking about will only make Allison’s headache worse if she dwells upon it. The last time Adam tried to use it, it resulted in a small brush fire.

Allison isn’t too worried. They managed without him before, and they will again. The whole point of the Silver Ranger is to help shoulder any extra weight. The sudden spike in attacks that activated the Silver Morpher has gone away. It’s only logical that the Silver Ranger would, too.

Adam’s not much good on the field anymore either, but that’s mostly Kris’ fault. He hovers over Adam constantly, just in case the suit decides to malfunction and leave him vulnerable. Kris has always been fiercely protective of everyone, but Adam is Adam, so it’s at least double the intensity where he’s concerned.

Everyone’s acting like they’re gearing up for Adam’s impending death instead of his departure from the team. It is driving Allison out of her fucking mind. It doesn’t help that Ryan’s made himself scarce and Simon is…doing whatever it is he does when he isn’t giving sage advice and making pithy retorts.

“Everyone, get to the base— _now_ ,” she barks into her communicator. “That’s an order,” Allison says darkly, scowling. She’s Team Leader, damnit; she’ll make them listen.

In five minutes, she has them all seated around a table. They’re fidgeting and giving her wary looks. Good.

“Adam is leaving the team.” At their quizzical looks, she rolls her eyes. “I know we all know that, but have we actually said it? My point is that we’re not going to completely fuck up if we lose him, and Adam is not going to vanish from our lives because he’s off the team. Kris would kill him if he even thought about it,” Allison says, looking around at each of them. “Are we clear?”

Adam frowns. “You make it sound like I’m whipped.”

“You are,” everyone else—Kris included—says.

His pout deepens. “Yeah, but do you have to say it?” Adam mumbles.

Kris slides off of his chair and onto Adam’s lap, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “We say it with love,” he says, smirking, before directing his attention back to Allison. “That’s not all you wanted to say, is it?”

Allison nods. “We thought we had more time, Adam, but at the rate you’re going, it’s probably for the best if you…” she says, trailing off.

Adam gives her a gentle smile. “If I back out now before I’m completely screwed during a fight? Couldn’t agree more, baby girl,” he says, slipping the Morpher off his wrist and laying it on the table. “It’s been fun, you guys.”

He covers his ears at the chaos that explodes following that announcement. Allison is sitting there quietly, but the other four are yelling over each other. Kris, being in Adam’s lap and all, has a far better chance of being heard. This is probably the one and only time Adam wishes Kris was out of arm’s reach.

A shrill whistle slices through the cacophony, silencing them. Allison raises a brow, arms crossed. “Are you all finished?”

“Is it just me, or is she slowly turning into Simon?” Matt whispers into Anoop’s ear, grinning sheepishly when he catches Allison’s knowing glare. “Yes, we’re finished. Sorry, Captain.”

She nods, smug, giving each of them a long, slow look. “We’re going to be fine. Just because we no longer have the human disco ball doesn’t mean we’re completely helpless.”

Judging by everyone else’s obvious reluctance to meet her eyes, they disagree. Whatever. She’s Team Leader and she knows best. They’re going to be just fine without Adam. Allison actually almost believes that. Almost.

~*~

It’s Adam and Kris’ one-year anniversary. They planned to have a nice dinner and then go somewhere private to do ridiculous, sappy couple things—a nice way of saying they were going to fool around in the backseat of Adam’s car. Instead, Adam is sitting alone in a fancy restaurant wishing the waitress would stop giving him pitying looks. The night started out wonderfully, but then halfway through the appetizer, the familiar beep of the Morpher intruded on their date; Adam waved off Kris’ apologies and sent him away with a smile.

Adam doesn’t remember dating Kris being this difficult pre-reveal. Of course the magical Morpher-induced amnesia probably has a lot to do with that. He understands the demands of being a Ranger. He understands that things like school, dating, anything vaguely resembling a normal teenage social life aren’t a priority. Adam understands every single one of those things.

What Adam didn’t understand before was how annoying the Morpher’s beeping is, how often this stupid city gets attacked, and how impossible it is to enjoy a nice, long makeout session when you have an android and a floating alien head in a glowing tube monitoring your every move. No longer being the Silver Ranger has done the impossible and taken the fun out of sticking his tongue down Kris’ throat. That just shouldn’t be possible.

Adam plans never to tell another living soul about this, but he’s actually relieved to be off the team. He likes helping people and he loves his team, but—ideally—you only live through high school once, and Adam didn’t want to spend his senior year chasing down monsters on top of everything else.

Except he misses it. Ish. Mostly he misses seeing Kris and—while he’s being honest—everyone else, too. Even Matt. And, if his life depended on it, he’d admit that he sort of misses Ryan and Simon, scarily white teeth and all.

It’s not like he never sees them at all. They still hang out with him, still include him as much as possible. But when the city is in peril and only the goddamn Power Rangers can save the day, Adam can’t exactly tag along anymore.

And, horror of all horrors, people have actually noticed. When they all disappeared, no one really cared. A group of teenagers vanishing from public view, while worrying, isn’t too out of place. A group of teenagers suddenly abandoning one of their members tends to attract more attention. As self-absorbed as his peers are, they’ve noticed the change in their group dynamic. The six of them are rarely seen apart, so Adam’s exclusion is being picked apart on the rumor mill. Since most people seem to think they sneak off to either a) acquire all sorts of illegal things that include but are not limited to drugs, human organs, weapons, and exotic animals to sell on the black market; or b) have physically impossible, dangerously kinky group sex, there’s many heated debates as to the reason for his accidental exile.

The ones who favor the first option think Adam must have screwed up a job or snitched on them, so they put out a hit on him and his days are numbered. The other camp thinks that Adam got tired of sharing Kris and issued some sort of ultimatum. Adam’s not sure if he should be relieved that more people are going with option two. Although it is the more plausible of the two since his possessiveness regarding Kris has become…infamous. An isolated incident that resulted in breaking a guy’s nose and suddenly Adam’s this overly jealous Neanderthal who will assault anyone that dares to look at his boyfriend. (In his defense, the guy had been blatantly staring at Kris’ ass and tried to sneak in a grope _right in front of Adam_ ; the broken nose was totally letting the guy off easy.)

The wild mass guessing was fun at first, but now it’s just irritating. Like Adam needs to be reminded of how often he gets left behind. On the bright side, his grades have never been better. Maintaining his GPA is so much easier now that he spends his time doing his work instead of fighting off whatever themed horror is plaguing the city that night.

Still. It’s their damn anniversary. There are four other perfectly capable—well, three; he doesn’t always count Matt—Rangers protecting the city. He should be able to spend one night with his boyfriend undisturbed. Is that really too much to ask?

Adam jumps when his phone goes off, scrambling to get it out his pocket.

**From: Kris**  
 _Sorry tonight didn’t go as planned. Rain check? :)_

**To: Kris**  
 _You owe me. Tommorow night. Or else._

**From: Kris**  
 _You’ve spelled tomorrow wrong so many times your phone’s given up. Nice.  
It’s a date. See you then.  <3_

Adam can’t help smiling fondly at the screen, missing Kris so much it hurts. He tries not to think too hard about how pathetic he is for being grateful at having this much contact. The waitress interrupts his pity party by coming over with a slice of cheesecake he definitely didn’t order, sympathy plain on her face.

“On the house,” she says with a crooked smile. “Sorry about your boyfriend.”

Adam stares at the stupidly fattening cheesecake sitting in front of him, a poor substitute for the Kris-time he was robbed of tonight. Beggars can’t be choosers, he decides as he savors the first creamy bite. If he can’t have Kris, he can at least indulge in a bit of comfort eating.

~*~

“I don’t think this is working!” Matt yells Allison’s way as he dodges a blast of something that looks like green Jell-O. “I refuse to get killed by a sentient mass of lime-flavored gelatin!”

“At least it’ll match your uniform,” Megan says before diving behind a conveniently placed dumpster for cover. “Think we’ll suffer any side effects if we decide to eat it instead of fighting it?”

“You two are hilarious,” Anoop mumbles as he cautiously peeks around the dumpster, ducking back as another neon green mass flies past. It lands on the sidewalk in big splotches and starts eating away at the concrete. “I think that’s a definite ‘no’ on the eating it suggestion. Any other bright ideas?”

Allison sprints towards them, almost tripping over Megan. “Where the hell is the Pink Ranger?” There’s a sudden loud explosion that causes the ground to shake. Allison runs towards it, holding a hand up to stop the others when they move to follow. The three of them wait anxiously until Allison breaks it with a hesitant, “Umm, guys? You should come see this.”

They step out and see Kris holding one of Ryan’s gadgets and standing by a crater as he stares at its epicenter, where a clear orb with a green blob inside it rests. Ryan’s latest upgrade includes how to manufacture weapons—but there’s a glitch that occasionally leaves out the part where he knows what they do. Using one of them and it ending well only happens every other time. Apparently, they lucked out this time.

“Are we done here?” Kris says brusquely, picking up the sphere. Allison nods, wary, and Kris hands the orb to her. Without another word, he teleports back to the base, leaving the rest of them in stunned silence.

“Do we have to go back right now?” Matt asks, almost but not quite pleading. “He’s been…touchy since someone hung up their stupidly shiny suit.”

Megan punches him on the shoulder. Even with the suit, they can perfectly picture her disapproving glare. “Get over yourself and be a good friend. If we have to, you have to.”

When they get there, Kris is slumped in a chair, already de-morphed. He doesn’t look up at their arrival, too busy fiddling with his ring to pay them any attention. “I’m starting to forget what Adam’s voice sounds like,” Kris says quietly, finally looking up and assaulting them with truly pathetic puppy dog eyes.

The other four have a brief, silent argument to determine who has to deal with him today. Anoop loses. “Kris,” he says, laying a careful hand on his back, “it’s okay—”

“It’s not okay!” Kris says, scowling at them. “I’m a teenager who’s been pressganged into keeping this city—which somehow doesn’t have a reputation for being one of the worst places to live despite being attacked constantly—safe, I’m just barely passing my junior year, I barely get to see my boyfriend, and I’m compelled to walk around in _bright pink clothing_. This sucks.”

Anoop looks to the others, at a loss, glaring when none of them have anything useful to contribute. He quietly shuffles away and leaves Kris to sulk. Megan and Matt follow after tossing Kris a few more concerned looks, but Allison sticks around. Kris sighs loudly, directing his big, sad eyes at her. She bends down to wrap her arms around him, squeezing tight, and plots. Scheming to cheer up their resident damsel-in-distress is totally part of the Team Leader job description.

The team dynamic is suffering without Adam. They may not need the extra firepower anymore, but they still need _Adam_ ; he’s part of the team. Kris may miss him the most—and be the most vocal about it—but the rest of them feel his absence, too. Maintaining a relationship with someone who isn’t on the team is hard; there’s a reason they don’t have many friends outside of the other Rangers anymore. Allison will be damned if she lets Kris and Adam fall victim to the same curse.

Okay, so her agenda isn’t totally selfless. They’re her friends, and she loves them, but one of her reasons is completely and totally selfish. Allison’s a romantic fool, and the two of them stare into each other’s eyes the way she imagines protagonists of a romance novel would. They complete each other in all the right ways, keeping each other grounded. She’s seen Kris before and after Adam, and frankly, they’ve been good for each other. They’re meant to be, damnit, and no one will ever convince her otherwise. She’s making sure they last.

Even if it means arguing with Simon. Which it does, because he’s an ornery floating head in a glowing tube.

“What do you mean you can’t do anything about it?” Allison says, fighting the urge to chuck something sharp and heavy at Simon. Although she thinks the satisfaction of seeing the glass crack and splinter would have been worth whatever punishment he gave her.

Simon sighs, long-suffering and condescending, as usual. “The Silver Morpher will remain useless until all of you are gone and there is an entirely new team. Until that happens, there won’t be a Silver Ranger.” He arches an all-knowing eyebrow at her. “Trying to will it into existence because the Pink Ranger is…distraught isn’t going to change that.”

Allison scratches the back of her neck, eyes wandering away from Simon’s smug smirk. “That’s not why I’m asking.” The All-Knowing Eyebrow makes Simon’s disbelief obvious. “Okay, that’s not the _only_ reason I’m asking,” she amends. “We need him, Simon. Not just Kris, but everyone on the team. And don’t tell me you don’t miss his shiny, obnoxious ass.”

Simon sighs, this time without the usual condescension and what could be a hint of genuine regret. “Whether or not that’s the case, what I said before still stands: there can no longer be a Silver Ranger.”

Allison knows there’s something he isn’t telling her that she’s supposed to magically figure out. Luckily, reading between the lines has become one of her specialties since she joined the team. On the rare occasions Simon decides to be helpful, he keeps it nice and vague. Apparently, his charming bluntness is reserved for telling them when they’re doing something wrong.

“There’s no way Adam can be a Power Ranger?” Allison asks, face falling.

“There can no longer be a Silver Ranger,” Simon repeats, crisp and clear.

She tries to get more out of him, but Ryan steps in, gently guiding her away from Simon and towards their unofficial lounge. Allison sinks onto the couch in a huff, crossing her arms and scowling. “Is keeping up the wise mentor shit really more important to him than helping us?”

Ryan sits down next to her, smiling slightly. “He may not show it—ever—but Simon really does care about you. He’s cared about all of his Power Rangers.” He scoffs. “He does like making you all suffer, though. He’s always been like that,” Ryan says fondly, the smile on his face taking on a soft edge that will give Allison nightmares for the rest of her life if she tries to figure out the reason for it. Ryan stands up and pats Allison on the shoulder. “Believe it or not, he did help you.” He turns to leave but stops abruptly. “Allison, did you know there’s an archive somewhere in this place?” At her headshake, Ryan beams. “You should find it sometime. Could be useful.”

Allison stares after him and groans loudly, frustrated. Would it kill either of them to be direct and just say it? Probably. After centuries of watching over Power Rangers, they’ve both perfected the wise-but-vague mentor shtick—unfortunately for her.

With a loud sigh, she gets up. It can’t be too hard to find a glorified library.

It only takes her two hours to take that back. They don’t use much of the base so Allison has always thought it wasn’t that big. Big enough to store their Megazords when they weren’t in use, sure, but not the kind of big that meant several underground levels with long corridors. She and Simon are going to have a nice, long talk about why she’s gone so long without knowing any of this.

Eventually, she stumbles into the right room. It’s surprisingly clean, stacks of boxes and piles of paper mixing with videotapes, CDs, and what look like several rejected sketches of their uniform. One of the walls is entirely covered by paintings, black-and-white photographs, sepia-toned ones, photos in color; they’re Power Rangers.

Allison walks towards the picture-covered wall, entranced. They’ve all been told that the Power Rangers have been around for centuries, but actually seeing it is something else. As she gets closer to modern-day, she notices one guy keeps showing up, but in a different color each time. Allison counts them to herself silently, biting her lip.

She reluctantly walks away, going further into the room. On the wall opposite the pictures are pristine glass cases. Inside are various weapons that look like they’ve seen better days, old communicators, and sealed boxes in various colors: purple, aqua, black, gold, and more she can’t even name.

What’s down here that Ryan and Simon want her to find?

She freezes when she sees one of the boxes is open, the outside decorated with fine, silvery lines. The Silver Morpher is inside, looking brand new. Allison reaches out to touch the glass and startles when it ripples. She reaches out again tentatively, staring with wide eyes as her hand moves through the glass, completely solid except for where her hand is. She tries to touch the Silver Morpher but a force field appears, as solid as the floor beneath her.

Allison glares at the Morpher, which is still being difficult even though it’s no longer in use. Simon told her there couldn’t be a Silver Ranger anymore. So why send her right to the Morpher?

A soft click makes her jump. Allison yanks her hand out of the case and looks around, relieved when she doesn’t see anything out of place. She turns back to the case and stops, feeling her throat close up, her fingers turning colder.

One of the boxes is open.

Allison touches the glass again, and it ripples, fluid and malleable as she reaches for the newly opened box. She prepares herself to be disappointed, for the barrier to stop her before she can actually touch it.

It doesn’t.

~*~

“Happy Sorry-the-Power-Ranger-thing-messed-up-our-actual-anniversary Anniversary,” Kris says, leaning up to brush his lips against Adam’s.

Adam wraps his arms around Kris’ waist, tipping his head up for a deeper kiss. “Only two weeks after our actual one. I’ll take it,” he says, nuzzling Kris’ neck and sighing happily. Two days is too long without Kris-time, let alone two weeks.

Kris’ lips purse into a pout, big, sad eyes looking up at Adam. “I’m sorry we haven’t had much time together lately.”

Adam rolls his eyes, untangling from Kris to grab his hand and drag him towards his car. “I told you,” he says, swiftly getting them through the crowded hallway and out into the school parking lot, “it’s not your fault. It’s the fault of the madwoman who keeps attacking the city with weird ass aliens at inopportune moments. So shut up.” He gives Kris a quick peck before ushering him into the passenger seat.

Kris rolls his eyes but gets in anyway. Adam walks around to the driver’s seat and checks his pocket, relieved to feel that the ring box is still in there. The thing’s been burning a hole in his pocket since he bought it and had to keep it two weeks longer than he’d planned.

The second he’s inside the car, Kris grabs him by the shirt collar and drags him in for a kiss, the gear shift pressing into his stomach uncomfortably. It’s hard to care about how awkward this position is when Kris is beneath him and making those soft, shivery moans Adam loves.

Obviously, Adam’s melodramatic streak had been acting up when he said that the Power Rangers had taken the fun out of making out. This is still fun. Very, very fun. So fun it’ll probably head into indecent exposure if they don’t take it somewhere more private than Adam’s front seat. He’s almost forgotten the ring entirely until it presses against his thigh in a way that’s not at all pleasant, forcing him to let go. Kris is dazed and so relaxed he’s practically melting into the upholstery. Adam’s pretty sure there’s some weirdly shaped mark somewhere on his torso. He really doesn’t give a fuck.

“God, I’ve missed you,” Adam breathes, leaning his forehead against Kris’. Kris hums in agreement, leaning up for a lazy kiss that oozes contentment. “I got you a present.” Kris finds enough energy to laugh at the accidental innuendo. Adam bites at his bottom lip and settles back into his own seat. “If you keep laughing, you’re not getting any kind of present.”

Kris looks up at Adam from beneath his lashes, licking his lips slowly. “Would you really do that?”

Adam glares at him. “I liked you better when you were oblivious to how well that little trick worked on me.” He takes the ring box out of his pocket, keeping it hidden in his palm. “But, seriously. I did get something for our anniversary. I just haven’t had a chance to give it to you until now.”

Kris’ eyes widen when he sees the small velvet box, eyes darting from the silver ring already on his finger to the box, and back to Adam. “But, Adam, you… This is too much.”

Adam rolls his eyes, taking Kris’ hand and pressing the box into his palm. “Nothing is too much for you. Let me spoil you, okay? It wasn’t like I spent a thousand bucks on it. Just half that,” Adam murmurs, hoping Kris won’t catch the last bit.

“Adam!” Kris says, staring at the box like it’s radioactive.

“Do you know why I gave you a ring in the first place?” Kris shakes his head. “Because it was my way of reminding myself that you were mine,” he says softly, his other hand caressing the silver ring on Kris’ finger, where it’s been since Adam gave it to him a year ago. “But I’m not the Silver Ranger anymore, Kris. I don’t see us when I look at that ring. I see the goddamn Power Rangers.” He opens the box and smiles a little at the catch in Kris’ breath when he sees its contents. “This way, we can both remember.”

Kris tentatively reaches for one of the rings cradled in Adam’s palm. It’s a matching set, two plain white gold bands, unadorned except for… “You’re lucky I love you, or I would kill you for this,” he says, running a finger over the row of pink sapphires embedded in the middle.

Adam laughs, leaning in to kiss the pout off of Kris’ face. “I thought it fit,” he says with a teasing grin, “since you’ve grown so much fonder of pink since I met you.” Kris punches him in the shoulder for that. He still lets Adam slip off the silver ring and put on the new one. Kris intertwines their fingers on the drive home. Neither of them can stop grinning at their hands, rings glinting in the light.

~*~

Allison should probably tell the rest of the team about her Brilliant Plan. This is a big deal, and she doesn’t even know if Adam wants to be a Power Ranger again, more time with Kris or not. But she just can’t. It doesn’t feel right. Before becoming a Ranger, she would’ve said she was just making excuses—but that was before alien gelatin monsters and giant heads in glowing tubes.

The time isn’t right yet.

Although she’s ecstatic to see Kris’ mood has improved. The rest of the team is, too, because a sulky Kris is a violent Kris. Allison’s pretty damn sure the upswing in his temperament is because of the new ring on his finger. She wonders how Adam got Kris to wear a ring with pink gems. Then she remembers the pink jeans and the pink plaid shirt, and decides a ring probably isn’t the worst of it.

Her Brilliant Plan was born because the team’s been out of whack, but that had been because of Kris’ sudden increase in—for lack of a better word—bitchiness. Balance has, partly, been restored so the Brilliant Plan gets shelved. Allison almost forgets it completely when the number of attacks slowly increases in frequency. It’s not as bad as it was when the Silver Ranger made his first appearance, but it’s more than they’re used to.

After they all stumble back into the base, Allison makes them all go to the unofficial boardroom and revisits her Brilliant Plan. If this keeps up, they’ll need another Ranger. Only this time, he’s not going to blind them all with his stupidly shiny suit. Allison contacts Kris on the communicator and tells him to bring Adam here, then makes her way down to the archives.

It’s the right time.

~*~

“Am I allowed to be in here?” Adam asks warily as Kris drags him into the base.

Kris rolls his eyes, tugging Adam’s hand a little harder, making him wince. “Stop being a baby. Of course you are. We’re not bringing you back here so we can erase all memory of the Power Rangers from you. This isn’t _Torchwood_.”

“Of course you’d say that. You’re still one of them,” Adam mutters, trying to slow Kris down. The little fucker’s stronger than he looks and is having great success dragging Adam’s ass back in. Ryan waves at him as they walk past, and Adam returns it, bemused. What is he even doing here?

The answer’s made clear when Kris shoves him into a chair, sits down on him when he tries to get up, and nods at Allison, who places something on the table in front of him. Adam blinks, unsure if what he’s seeing is really there. “Is that—?”

Kris nods, petting the nape of Adam’s neck. “It is.”

Adam slowly reaches out for it, stopping just short of actually touching it. “What are you asking, Allison?”

She sighs, rubbing her temples. She makes a few false starts before settling on, “We aren’t right without you.”

On the table in front of Adam, is a Morpher—not the Silver one, but something different. If Adam picks it up, he’ll be a Power Ranger again. Allison is fighting to keep her face blank, wearing the Team Leader face they all hate, but Adam can see how much she’s hoping he’ll say yes. He can’t see Kris’ face, but Adam can taste how badly Kris wants him to come back.

He squeezes Kris’ hand. He’s not sure if it’s a reassurance or an apology. “Can I have some time?” he asks Allison, hating how his non-answer makes her exhaustion more apparent. She nods briefly and walks away without another word, the clipped pace making Kris shift worriedly. “Go after her,” Adam says softly, pressing a kiss to Kris’ hair.

He slips off Adam’s lap and picks up the Morpher, holding it out to Adam. “Keep it with you until you decide,” he says quietly, avoiding Adam’s eyes.

“Kris,” he says, cringing at his pleading tone. “Kris,” he tries again, a little more composed, “I love you.”

Kris does look at him then, a soft smile on his lips. He leans down to press a kiss to Adam’s forehead, his hand caressing Adam’s cheek. “I know.”

Adam sighs, slumping in the chair and staring at the ceiling. What the fuck is he supposed to do now?

The answer is, of course, go to the Youth Center, order a smoothie, and pretend he doesn’t have a life-changing decision to make. He lets the smoothie drown out any thoughts of Power Rangers and important choices, Allison’s face and Kris’ voice.

He had honestly been relieved to not be a Power Ranger anymore, even with everything it’s given him. Those first few months had been awful. Adam still doesn’t have all those blank spots filled in, and he doesn’t like that. Not being a Power Ranger has been good for him, in all ways but one. The team is like family, and Adam had instantly become part of that—once they’d gotten it sorted out. They’re his best friends on top of everything else they are.

And then there’s Kris. That’s all Adam needs to say about that. They love each other and that’s that. Kris will support Adam whatever he decides. But he knows which choice Kris would prefer. If he becomes a Power Ranger again, it’s not going to be because he couldn’t bear to disappoint Kris. That way lays danger.

“Allison told me what happened.”

Adam looks up to see Matt sitting there, a smoothie in hand and not a single fedora in sight. “Did she?” he mumbles, sipping his smoothie morosely. “And?”

Matt shrugs. “That’s a sucky choice to have to make, dude. I know I wouldn’t want to come back to this if I’d gotten a get out of jail free card.”

The smoothie goes down the wrong way and Adam coughs, trying to get a coherent sentence out. “Are you shitting me?”

Matt shakes his head. “I’m serious. Who seriously wants to be a Power Ranger after actually being one? Our job kind of sucks,” he says with a sharp laugh. “And we don’t even get any benefits. Well, except for those of you who somehow get significant others out of it. You know, Megan and Anoop have been dating since forever. And now there’s you and Kris. The rest of us get to strike out with people who aren’t privy to the Power Ranger thing and therefore aren’t very understanding when they keep getting stood up,” he says blithely, only the tiniest hint of real bitterness underneath. 

“You could try dating Allison,” Adam says with a half-smile.

Matt bursts into laughter, shaking his head frantically. “That’d be wrong on so many levels. I’ll stick to the ignorant masses.” His laughter winds down and his face sobers. “But, for real, you got lucky. You’re out and you can stay out if you really want to. No one would judge you for choosing that.” He pauses, making sure that Adam’s eyes are meeting his own. “Especially Kris.” Matt finishes off his smoothie and gets up, nodding at Adam. “Good luck, man.”

“Thanks,” Adam says, dazed. It’s the first real conversation he and Matt have ever had. Not that it helped any. What the fuck is he going to do? Adam’s not any closer to figuring it out than he was an hour ago, and now he can’t stop thinking about it.

_“Power Rangers, you cannot stop me!”_

Adam’s head jerks towards the source of the noise. There has to be something wrong with him if the sight of a giant bird’s nest laying waste to the Youth Center doesn’t cause any alarm. It’s a slithering mass of twigs and leaves, with eggshells where he thinks the eyes are supposed to be. He can only guess where its mouth is.

Adam reaches instinctively for the nonexistent Morpher on his wrist, startled when there’s nothing there. Sometimes, it’s hard to remember that he doesn’t do this anymore. He doesn’t see any of the others around, though. If they don’t get here soon, Adam won’t be able to keep himself from doing something to help—no matter how dangerously stupid it is. He remembers the new Morpher in his pocket, hand drifting towards it, wondering.

Before the idea can do more than take root, the Green Ranger shows up, trying to distract the…nest thing from the stragglers. At this point, every public place in the city—and more than a few private residences—has an evacuation plan in place in case of monster attack. (Adam seriously doesn’t understand how there are still people in this town. They have evacuation plans, for fuck’s sake.) Most of the civilians have cleared out, but a few aren’t safe yet. Adam can’t help groaning when he sees some kid recording the whole thing on his phone.

He runs over and drags the kid out the Youth Center doors, holding it open to let the remaining people out. Adam makes sure to delete the video from the kid’s phone before sending him on his merry way. He gives Adam the finger before he runs off.

Being a Power Ranger again looks super appealing after this. Really.

In the distance, Adam sees multicolored blurs. He holds the door open as the blurs get closer, eventually materializing into the rest of the team. They run past, a few giving him a nod in greeting. Kris makes a full on stop and throws his arms around him. Adam squeezes him tight once before nudging him inside.

“Go save the day,” he says softly, wishing he could actually see Kris’ face.

Kris presses something on his Morpher that makes the visor go down, letting Adam meet Kris’ gaze. “Go somewhere safe,” he says, clinging to Adam’s hand.

“But—” Kris presses his index finger against Adam’s lips, shaking his head. “Alright,” Adam sighs, “I’ll go somewhere safe. But you better come back to me in one piece.” Kris gives his hand one more squeeze before putting the visor back up and running inside to help the rest of the Rangers.

Adam lets the door slam shut. He takes a few steps away and stops, turning around to stare at the door. He bites his lip, hand reaching for the Morpher burning a hole in his pocket.

He jerks his hand away from it, sighing loudly. He promised Kris he’d go somewhere safe. Adam doubts going in there to help meets that criterion, Power Ranger or not. Still.

Adam stares at the door some more. The team may not need him back, but they want him back. And he misses them. He misses the constant attacks cutting into his schoolwork and social life, the stupid beeping of the communicator, Ryan’s unnaturally white smile, Simon’s oversized smug smirk when they don’t understand his cryptic advice.

He takes the Morpher out of his pocket and stares at it. Adam looks towards the door then back at the Morpher, laughing a little hysterically. He straps the Morpher to his wrist and starts the sequence.

Like there was ever any other choice.

~*~

A nest. They have to fight _a bird’s nest_. He seriously wants to know who comes up with these things. Next it’ll be a giant sentient spork.

Still. A nest. Nests should not be able to move like that. There’s something beyond wrong about its movements, a cross between a slither and something out of a low budget stop-motion film. And the less said about the eggshell eyes—which are definitely following him—the better. The nest cackles and comes closer, sliding over an errant chair. Kris watches as it gets turned into kindling before being assimilated as part of the nest. 

Kris makes a noise that is most definitely not a shriek when the nest hurls something in his direction. It looks like it was a plastic cup in another life. He belatedly realizes that the nest creature thing has a clear path to him. He’s the only Ranger stupid enough not to immediately go for cover.

Kris steps back and skids, just barely keeping his balance. Some idiot dropped their smoothie and it spilt, leaving an inconveniently placed puddle. Those few seconds of distraction were enough. The nest is only a foot away, eggshell eyes glittering maliciously. Kris is going to die. He’s going to die and become part of a living nest—and Kris is stopping there before his thoughts go into horror movie territory.

Something slices through the nest and it emits a horrible screech that makes him think of vicious birds and forest fires, flames spreading quickly and eating everything. It’s still alive—if it can be considered so—but slowly breaking apart, bits and pieces getting hacked away by the mysterious blade.

Kris blinks, stunned. Allison, Matt, Megan and Anoop are all visible from where he’s standing, so it can’t be them. Which means…

Anoop shoots at the nest, the bright white beam temporarily blinding Kris and derailing his thoughts. When Kris’ vision clears, the nest is now a tiny pile of sticks. Behind it, sword still in hand, is Adam. At least, Kris is pretty sure it’s Adam.

He slowly lowers his sword, doing some complicated hand motion that makes it disappear. Kris slowly takes a step towards him, squeaking when he’s unceremoniously yanked into very familiar arms.

“How do you always manage to get yourself into trouble?” Adam says fondly.

Kris shoves him away. “You idiot!”

“Ryan,” Allison says into her communicator, recognizing the signs of an epic Kris Allen Bitch Fit, “take us back to the base. The White Ranger, too.”

The White Ranger. Adam is the fucking White Ranger, which means he’s back on the team.

Kris doesn’t know if he wants to kiss him or kill him. He’ll decide later. Either way, Kris is definitely going to throttle him.

~*~

An angry Kris legitimately terrifies Adam. This does not make him a wimp. Kris is delightful most of the time, calm and steady even when the rest of them aren’t.

This changes when he gets upset. It takes a lot to truly piss him off, but when he is, the results are never pretty. True to form, everyone who isn’t the current target of Kris’ ire clears out, leaving Adam at Kris’ mercy.

Usually, Adam is fine with being at his mercy because it means lovely things like Kris trying to climb him like a tree, or Kris doing that thing with his tongue, or Kris getting naked. Adam is pretty sure none of that will be happening for a while. Kris can be stubborn, and if he wants to stay mad at Adam, he’ll stay mad at Adam.

Kris de-morphs. “Adam,” he says, low and dangerous. The look on his face makes Adam recoil.

“Kris,” Adam says, surreptitiously taking a step back. The more distance between him and Kris when he de-morphs, the better—an angry Kris is often a violent one.

“That suit won’t protect you,” Kris says, smiling sweetly.

Adam jumps when Kris starts walking towards him. He takes a reflexive step back, then another, and another, until he’s literally been backed into a corner. His boyfriend is a sneaky bastard. “Please don’t hit me?” Adam says weakly.

Kris’ eyes narrow. “The longer you hide beneath the suit, the less likely it is that you’ll escape this unscathed.” 

Adam’s tempted to keep the helmet on, but he doubts it would help things. Kris’ glare is actually starting to look threatening. Adam gives Kris a nervous smile once the protection of the suit is gone. “Hi, baby.”

The possibly threatening glare has been upgraded to definitely threatening. “Adam Mitchel Lambert,” Kris says, moving even further into Adam’s personal space, “don’t even _think_ about trying to talk your way out of this one.”

“I wasn’t going to,” he lies, pressing back against the wall as much as humanly possible. Adam is actively trying to escape Kris’ invasion of his personal space. Only five minutes of being a Ranger again and it’s already making his life more difficult.

“Adam,” Kris growls, putting his hands on Adam’s hips and pinning him to the wall. It doesn’t really do anything since Adam’s been leaning on it the entire time, hoping he’ll be able to escape by magically gaining the ability to walk through walls. Still. An angry Kris is a sexier than usual Kris.

This is so not the time to get turned on.

“I’m sorry?” Adam says meekly, briefly debating whether or not it’s safe to touch Kris before deciding to risk it. His hands settle comfortably on Kris’ shoulders, relaxing a little when Kris allows the contact.

Kris huffs a loud sigh and shakes his head. “I thought you needed to think about it.”

“I did!” Adam says defensively. “Before that thing showed up I was feeling sorry for myself and agonizing over what to do.” He pouts at Kris’ skeptical look. “I thought you’d be thrilled!”

Kris moves away so quickly Adam’s head spins. “This isn’t about me.”

Adam uses his grip on Kris’ shoulders to pull him close. “It kind of is,” he says ruefully. “Not entirely, but some of it.” Kris scowls and tries to put distance between them, but Adam tightens his hold. “Look, whether we like it or not, the Power Ranger thing is practically our entire life. So, yeah, part of the reason I went ahead and came back to this insanity after I’d miraculously escaped was because of you.”

“Adam—”

“Yeah, yeah, that’s not what you want to hear. Well, tough,” Adam says, smiling to soften his words, “because it’s the truth. You’re stuck with me. “

Kris sighs, head falling forward to rest on Adam’s chest. “You are insane.”

Adam beams. “So I’ve been told. But you love me.”

“I do,” Kris mutters into Adam’s neck. “Even if you are an idiot.”

“Your idiot,” Adam says, kissing Kris’ temple. “White isn’t that bad of a color. It’ll be much easier to coordinate now.”

Kris laughs, looking up at him with that smile, the one that means he thinks Adam is being ridiculous but loves him for it anyway. “Only you,” he says fondly.

“Does this mean you’re not going to hurt me?”

“For now,” Kris says, voice deceptively mild. “But if you ever do something that stupid again, all bets are off.” Kris leans up to kiss him, but his communicator goes off before he can. Adam groans and Kris laughs, eyes sparkling, his smile a bit smug. “Still think this was the right decision?”

Adam’s answer is to kiss him until that smug smile disappears and is replaced by dazed eyes and swollen lips. “Definitely.” He leans down to give Kris another kiss, nipping at his bottom lip and holding him close.

The communicator beeps again, followed by Allison’s voice. “Kris? We need you and Adam in the archives.”

“Still positive,” Adam says in response to the pout on Kris’ lips. “Trust me on this.”

Adam knows he’s going to second guess this decision, even if it’s only for a moment. He’s going to get annoyed by the compulsion to wear his Ranger color, because white isn’t nearly as fun as silver. He’s going to wish he hadn’t accepted the Morpher when an attack interferes with real life, when it means less time with Kris and less time to be a teenager. He’s going to resent his life revolving around being a Power Ranger.

But Adam thinks he’s okay with all of that. Maybe he really is crazy. He thinks they all are for wanting to do this, him especially for choosing to come back. There’s nowhere else he’d rather be.

Besides, it’s not like he’ll be a Power Ranger forever.

**Author's Note:**

> If the end seems a bit abrupt, it's because there is more to this...eventually. I give, this is a legit series.
> 
> For reference, the ring looks like something like [this](http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee502/eirana_regan/gr5423-pink-sapphire-baguette-diamond-ring.jpg).
> 
> Credit goes to Beth for Nesthing (in my head, that's what its name is/was) because she was the only one to indulge me when I asked for a random object that I could make into a lame themed monster. Anyone else who wants to get in on the action, just drop a comment with an object (or five, I'm not picky) and it may pop up in a future installment.


End file.
